


Some Invisible String Tying You to Me

by Cheyalinn_of_Tafth



Series: The Stakes are High, the Water's Rough, but this Love is Ours [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Developing Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, POV Tsukishima Kei, Relationship Study, TsukkiYama Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26137087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheyalinn_of_Tafth/pseuds/Cheyalinn_of_Tafth
Summary: Kei and Tadashi over the years, and yet Kei only just figured out just what kept pulling him towards one beautiful freckled boy who grew up to be Kei's most precious person in the world.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Series: The Stakes are High, the Water's Rough, but this Love is Ours [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891918
Comments: 2
Kudos: 82
Collections: TsukkiYama Week 2020





	Some Invisible String Tying You to Me

**Author's Note:**

> cheya here!! thank you for stopping by~ keep safe!
> 
> Tsukkiyama Week 2020 Day 5  
> LAUGH  
> ~based on [Taylor Swift's "Invisible String"](https://open.spotify.com/track/6VsvKPJ4xjVNKpI8VVZ3SV?si=Jj-iFDj-QieGt6feEoYPMw) from the album _Folklore_.

When Kei met Tadashi, he was not the first person he saw. It was those pathetic bullies who knew nothing but violence at such a young age. Kei had always thought that people like that were the weak ones because they could not help but hurt another just to feel good and satisfied with themselves. It was the most uncool thing anyone can do.

That was why when he saw three boys cowering over someone who was already in the ground, he could not help himself but tell them off. It was easy enough for Kei even then, to look past a person’s action and get to the reason why they were doing what they were doing.

Pathetic, Kei had told them. And so they ran away. It was easy enough for Kei.

What he had trouble with, though, was when this small boy’s bright eyes turned to him. His eyes yielded tears and his face and arms were full of scratches, but what he gave Kei was a smile.

Kei wondered how this boy looked like if he had laughed without the tears in his eyes. Just the genuine, pure laughter out of something so funny, or happy, or anything that was the opposite of what he just experienced.

Kei did what he does best, then. He walked away.

The next time he saw the boy in question was when he was watching a volleyball practice. The freckled little boy introduced himself as Yamaguchi Tadashi, calling him cool while he was at it. His eyes got even brighter, and Kei thought that maybe if he got even cooler, will Tadashi be able to sparkle in amazement some more? 

So, he started to show Tadashi how cool he can be, how cool Akiteru is, and how much cooler he was going to be if he can just follow Akiteru’s footsteps. There was nothing wrong with that, Kei had believed.

Until Akiteru was no longer cool. He did not make it as a regular, he was there just cheering, not doing all the cool things he promised Kei he was good at. Disappointment ran through Kei, and when he looked at Tadashi’s frown, he did not know what to do.

If he could not be cool now, will he still be able to see Tadashi laugh, or even smile, or just sparkle?

Tadashi stayed, though, and Kei started to believe that Tadashi was no longer there to just witness some kind of coolness Kei was able to show him. Kei started to feel like a person around Tadashi, who thought that everything about him was cool.

Even the disappointments, even the bad things, Tadashi accepted them all and still called him cool despite it all.

What Kei can do now, for Tadashi, was to make him smile, make him laugh, and make his bright eyes twinkle. That should be fair enough, right?

That did not last as long as Kei had wanted. After that, they spent a lot of time together, even though most of it was Tadashi’s initiatives to play, to watch something Kei likes, and to sleepover during Friday nights. After all that, the peace Kei wanted to observe between the two of them still broke.

Tadashi did not smile or laugh. Instead, he took Kei by the shirt and yelled at him at the top of his lungs. It was just one night when the moon was high, during a summer he would never forget. Tadashi yelled at him. Tadashi, who exerted so much effort to be at a place where he was so much cooler than Kei.

Tadashi already took off ahead, leaving Kei standing there caught up in things that should no longer matter anymore.

So, in order to let the spear pierce the enemy dead, the shield should be sturdy and unbreakable.

Kei’s pride is whenever Tadashi smiles during his serves. It makes him all better when he laughs after they won a match. Kei started to get greedier when it comes to wins, just so he can see the open joy in Tadashi’s face as the freckled young man throw his head back to laugh his relief and his happiness.

It was what makes Kei’s world fine.

Things started to change a little after the Nekoma match. The Battle of the Garbage Dump, they all called it. Kei thought that he was able to scavenge something from it. Even though they had to fight stronger enemies after that, Kei took home something that began to change his world forever.

“Tsukki!” Tadashi called him then, laughing. He took Kei’s hands in his and rubbed them in between his. Kei watched Tadashi as the shorter young man played with his fingers, pressing his thumbs onto his palms.

“Yamaguchi, what…”

Tadashi giggled, rubbing circular patterns on the parts of Kei’s palm that ached the most. “Oh! A little something Kiyoko-san taught me. I’m massaging your hands, Tsukki! They always block well so I think they would appreciate the treat.”

Kei hummed. Before thinking about it, he took Tadashi’s hands in his own, giving it a massage. “Nice serve,” Kei said, not to Tadashi, but to his hands. He fought the urge to kiss them for good luck, too, and he barely managed to hold back. The freckled young man laughed out at Kei’s antics, to the point that they got the attention of one Hinata Shouyou. Kei wanted to groan.

What he took home was that Tadashi started to hold his hand on their way home after Nationals, the rest of their time as first years, and well into their second year in high school. It was a way to keep it nice and warm, Tadashi said as an excuse. But Kei knows that they were just simply holding hands while walking. Not that he minded, though.

Because Tadashi was always laughing when Kei traces shapes with his nail in the middle of Tadashi’s palm, or when his thumb relentlessly bothered Tadashi’s when their fingers are intertwined with each other’s.

“Tsukki, that tickles!” Tadashi would always say in between his giggles, making Kei do it more and again. The feather-like lightness of the melody of Tadashi’s laugh was more than enough for Kei to stop thinking of blocking strategies, and formations, and how to annoy the people standing on the other side of the net.

But Kei was not ready for their new kind of normal to change again.

It’s too fast, was what Kei thought when Ennoshita-san had Tadashi stay a little bit after practice, together with Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei in the middle of their second year, a day before they play against Dateko’s Iron Wall. Kei stayed just outside the gym, headphones on but no music. Hinata and Kageyama were bickering as they walked to him from the clubroom.

Hinata was not at all still, trying to listen in the closed gym doors. “Why do you think they had Yamaguchi stay, Tsukishima? Are they scolding him? But Yamaguchi’s serves have been really consistent? Is there something wrong with what he’s doing? Uwaaa, Yamaguchi, hang in there!”

“Stupid,” muttered Kageyama. “Ennoshita-san had chosen him as the next captain. They’re going to let him know, officially, so that he can start his training as our captain.”

“What? That fast?” Hinata yelled. “But we’re not even done on the court as second years yet! I don’t want Noya-san, Tanaka-san, Ennoshita-san, Narita-san, and Kinoshita-san to leave yet!”  
  


Kei silently agreed with Hinata, somehow, in some points. It was indeed too fast. They were about to change again, and for Kei, he was already dreading it more than he was curious about what was going to happen to them, to him and Tadashi.

But all of it just melted away when Tadashi emerged when the gym doors opened. He was smiling, and then laughing, and then crying when he broke the news to the idiot duo.

He was happy. Tadashi is happy to become the captain. He was going to laugh and smile as captain. If that was what waited for him and Tadashi for next year, and maybe as early as now, then it would not be so bad.

In Kei’s opinion, this 'change' should have caused a much more impact on their… well, whatever they have going now. But it did not. Though Kei would no longer label it as simply friendship - not when they hold hands almost all the time and Kei’s chest wanted to burst wide open whenever Tadashi’s fingers leave his own so that both of them can go home.

But Tadashi still made time for him and him alone despite his captainship training. Kei noticed it immediately when he insisted on still having sleepovers, only to fall asleep against Kei’s chest in the middle of watching a documentary. It was cute, so Kei pressed a kiss against Tadashi’s temple with the other person sleeping away his exhaustion. 

The turn of it all happened during an intense match during the Spring High of their second year. They won, and the adrenaline was running high as the match ending with a third of Tadashi’s service aces. Tadashi had laughed, very much out loud, when they flipped the scoreboard and the whistle sounded. 

Tadashi proceeded to tackle Kei, and the rest of the team quickly followed. Amidst the pile of sweaty volleyball players, Kei felt the warmest and sweetest peck against his lips. No one else noticed. Tadashi pulled back with a bright grin, laughing all the while, leaving Kei stunned. At that moment, Kei knew that there would never be a going back to how he was before that.

Kei frowned because Tadashi had no business laughing like he was out to steal Kei’s heart - if he had not already. Kei called this “the turn” because it became a habit between the two of them. Tadashi giving him a peck, along with a giggle, after they win particularly heavy matches. Tadashi was all sweat but never salty upon Kei’s lips.

The weird thing about it is that they never talked about it, never even mentioned it through their words, but they kept on kissing until the season was over.

Their third-year arrived too early and too fast, as well as Tadashi’s appointment as captain. He had chosen Kageyama as his vice-captain, and Kei ended up wearing the number of the Karasuno ace.

He was fine with it, which was weird, but the word ‘ace’ resonated with their kouhais very well. This does not faze Tadashi even slightly as he gained more confidence to tell him off - even during matches.

Kei got yelled at by ‘Captain Tadashi’ when he picked a fight with Kageyama, and he got a strong glare from ‘Captain Tadashi’ when he did not put a good enough footing for one of his spikes against three blockers.

It was unnerving yet Kei… weirdly liked it. Maybe a little bit too much. Tadashi being confident and in his element inside the court was highly satisfying to watch.

Maybe that was how Kei learned so quickly how sensual the word ‘captain’ can be behind closed doors of bathroom stalls and gym storage rooms.

That started when a big game against the third generation Seijoh almost crushed them. It was Tadashi’s three consecutive service aces that got them a ticket to another set, which they barely won. It was suddenly so attractive, with Tadashi looking so damn cool like that, sweeping in to save the game like a great captain that he is.

On the way back to Karasuno for their meeting, Kei really tried to convince himself that he is, unfortunately, a teenager, and teenagers can really be hormonal at times. Maybe that is just what it was. Just a spark of hormonal urge.

He almost convinced himself when they got back to the campus, repeated the mantra of ‘I’m not weird’ over and over again during the meeting. But when Tadashi turned to him, “Ah, Tsukki! Help me put the mops in the storage room.”

Kei just nodded, took the remaining mops, and followed the captain to the gym’s storage room. When they got inside the dark, enclosed space, he realized the noise coming from Hinata, Kageyama, and the rest of the team started to fade away. There was just him, Tadashi, the innocent pieces of inanimate objects inside the storage room, and this weird tugging feeling in his chest.

After putting the mops in their rightful place, Tadashi turned to him with a bright grin, “Your blocks are super solid today, Tsukki. They’re really good. So cool!”

“You’re the one that’s cool, captain,” Kei blurted out, lamely.

To which Tadashi laughed, “Don’t you flatter me, Tsukki. You know that’s not going to lessen your diving drills.”

Kei was not even thinking of diving drills at all. But he still replied, “Well, that was worth a try. Captain."

Tadashi hummed, “I’ll just…” He stood up on his tiptoes to give Kei a peck on the lips. He pulled away immediately, giving Kei a bright smile, “How’s that for a treat because we won today?”

He did not know what came to him, but Kei took hold of Tadashi’s arm and paced them both until the Karasuno Boys’ Volleyball team captain was against the wall, with one of Kei’s hand beside his head.

“Tsukki…”

"Yes, Captain?"

Kei leaned down and took Tadashi’s soft lips with his own, kissing him soundly. He pulled away slightly as if waiting for Tadashi tp push him away. But when none of that happened, they moved together, kissing each other again, deeper this time, with tongue and wandering hands. Kei vaguely heard a mop fall against the floor.

He could not care less at that one hot moment, because when they pulled away from each other and Tadashi noticed the mess they have made of the storage room, he would laugh the sweetest laugh ever known to Kei.

That marked the first of many similar instances - making out in gym storage rooms and sports arena bathrooms - throughout their third year.

No one knew about it, but Kei and Tadashi knew, as they give each other that look across the gym whenever their afternoon practice is about to come to an end for the day, or in between official matches.

After high school, no one was surprised when Tadashi and Kei moved in together in a shared apartment for university. It was just around Miyagi, sure, but they opted to still rent a place that was near to the university they both decided to attend.

Kei loved every minute of waiting for Tadashi’s keys to jiggle the front door lock, just for him to welcome him home. He also had these weird butterflies in his stomach every time he walks home knowing that Tadashi will be there to greet him. He could not pinpoint what he wanted exactly, especially what he wanted for them to become.

Until one night, hours after Tadashi texted him that he will go with his friends to a college mixer, there was a loud knocking on their front door at around one in the morning. And when Kei opened the door, a heavy Tadashi, red-faced and drunk, grinned up at him lopsided.

“Hi, I’m finally home!”

“Welcome home, Tadashi,” he muttered against his alcohol-tainted hair.

Two people smiled at him, a boy and a girl. The girl spoke, “Me and my boyfriend - well, the both of us are Yamaguchi-kun’s classmates - decided to bring him home because all he says is how he loves his ‘Tsukki’ and we had no idea what to do with that information. So, we got his address from his student information and brought him here. Is this… his apartment?”

“Yeah, we share,” Kei said, colder than his usual.

“Oh!” The girl cooed, attaching herself to the boy beside him. “Are you his boyfriend? Are you Tsukki?”

Blushing, Kei looked away. “Y-yes. I am. Tsukki.”

Tadashi wrapped his arms around Kei’s shoulders and the couple said their quick goodbyes after that. Kei sighed as he closed and locked their door, dragging Tadashi to the bedroom. Kei took off his shoes and his jacket, and then let him sleep after that.

The next morning, when Kei was sitting beside him on the bed, fingers flying over the laptop’s keyboard to finish an academic paper for class, Tadashi immediately sat on the bed as he woke.

“Woah! That hurts!”

“Then lay back down,” scolded Kei. “You drank too much.”

“Ah! It’s you, Tsukki. I was afraid fo a moment there that I might have gone home to the wrong place or have gotten somewhere else…” Tadashi groaned. “Gosh, I panicked for nothing.”

“Is that a possibility? You going home somewhere else drunk?”

“What? No!” Tadashi was speaking but his eyes are closed. “Are you mad, Tsukki?”

Kei licked his lips and pushed out the words he decided he would be adamant to say the first thing when Tadashi wakes up, “I’m not mad. Your classmates took you home. Thank them because they’re good for you. If there’s someone who approached you for something and you end up not going home here…”

“Tsukki… Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

“I am seething with it, and I am just thinking about a possibility. Imagine if it really happens.”

“Oh,” Tadashi turned to him and opened one eye. He pinched the side of Kei’s shirt, tugging it. “What do you wanna do about it, Tsukki?”

“I’m going to court you and make you love me back until you won’t be able to look at anybody else.”

Tadashi laughed so hard that his face scrunched up in pain immediately, “Ow, my head can’t do laughter yet.”

Kei put the laptop down and leaned to press a kiss on Tadashi’s forehead, “I’ll get you some meds and some breakfast.”

“Wait, Tsukki.”

“What?”

“I love you, too. There’s no need to court me, you know. We’ve been kissing since second year of high school.”

“Y... you sure?”

Kei looked at how Tadashi was smiling even if his eyes are closed, “Yes! I want you… to be my boy-boyfriend… now… Well, as early as I can!”

“Okay. Stay there. Your boyfriend will cure your hangover.”

“Tsukki!” Tadashi laughed again, just to flinch right after.

Months and months after that, Kei swore that Tadashi was even more excited for him when Kei got drafted to play for the Sendai Frogs. He had bought all of the merchandise and went to all of Kei’s games no matter how busy he has gotten.

That was why when Kei asked Tadashi about a jump floater serve, the former Karasuno captain was more than ecstatic to teach him.

And so when the season came, whenever Kei scores with a jump floater serve, he can hear Tadashi’s laughter from the stands, loud and clear and distinct - a sound very dear to Kei’s own heart. 

Tadashi’s laughter something he treasured and that fueled him to use that serve as a weapon at especially critical times within games. Not only because it annoyed the opponents to no end and Kei loved that, too, sure, but also because that move was Tadashi’s pride and glory, and now Kei is holding onto that pride with both hands.

* * *

  
  


That was why Kei is smiling right now, after remembering and recalling all the times, all the strings that connected him to Tadashi, and connected them both to this exact moment of their lives. Kei was celebrating a win, and Tadashi finally got a full weekend off from work. 

Kei was kissing at Tadashi’s bare shoulders, down to his freckled arms. Tadashi playfully swats Kei’s hand that wandered far too low too early, because laughing out loud as Kei started to tickle him in the middle of the big bed of the hotel they checked in the night prior, just a short trip to spend more time together.

Tadashi’s laughter echoed out to the half-opened door that leads to the hotel room’s balcony. Kei smiled and kissed the skin he could reach because that laughter has always been what tied Kei to the kind of happiness he had longed for, for so long.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! please dont forget to drop me a comment or kudos if u liked it 🥺🥺 it means a lot 🥺🥺🥺


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